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Engineers of Dreams: Great Bridge Builders and the Spanning of America
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Engineers of Dreams: Great Bridge Builders and the Spanning of America Paperback - 1996

by Henry Petroski

The acclaimed author of To Engineer Is Human now reveals the science--not to mention the politics, egotism, and sheer magic--behind America's great bridges, reocounting the stories of the men and women who built the St. Louis, the George Washington, and the Golden Gate bridges.


From the publisher

Petroski reveals the science and engineering--not to mention the politics, egotism, and sheer magic--behind America's great bridges, particularly those constructed during the great bridge-building era starting in the 1870s and continuing through the 1930s. It is the story of the men and women who built the St. Louis, the George Washington, and the Golden Gate bridges, drawing not only on their mastery of numbers but on their gifts for persuasion and self-promotion. It is an account of triumphs and ignominious disasters (including the Tacoma Narrows Bridge, which literally twisted itself apart in a high wind). And throughout this grandly engaging book, Petroski lets us see how bridges became the "symbols and souls" of our civilization, as well as testaments to their builders' vision, ingenuity, and perseverance.
"Seamlessly linked...With astonishing scope and generosity of view, Mr. Petroski places the tradition of American bridge-building in perspective."--New York Times Book Review

First line

Imagine a world without bridges.

From the jacket flap

Petroski reveals the science and engineering--not to mention the politics, egotism, and sheer magic--behind America's great bridges, particularly those constructed during the great bridge-building era starting in the 1870s and continuing through the 1930s. It is the story of the men and women who built the St. Louis, the George Washington, and the Golden Gate bridges, drawing not only on their mastery of numbers but on their gifts for persuasion and self-promotion. It is an account of triumphs and ignominious disasters (including the Tacoma Narrows Bridge, which literally twisted itself apart in a high wind). And throughout this grandly engaging book, Petroski lets us see how bridges became the "symbols and souls" of our civilization, as well as testaments to their builders' vision, ingenuity, and perseverance.


"Seamlessly linked...With astonishing scope and generosity of view, Mr. Petroski places the tradition of American bridge-building in perspective."--New York Times Book Review

Details

  • Title Engineers of Dreams: Great Bridge Builders and the Spanning of America
  • Author Henry Petroski
  • Binding Paperback
  • Edition First Printing
  • Pages 496
  • Volumes 1
  • Language ENG
  • Publisher Vintage, New York, New York, U.S.A.
  • Date October 29, 1996
  • Illustrated Yes
  • ISBN 9780679760214 / 0679760210
  • Weight 1.03 lbs (0.47 kg)
  • Dimensions 8 x 5.24 x 1.04 in (20.32 x 13.31 x 2.64 cm)
  • Library of Congress subjects Civil engineers - United States, Bridges - United States - History - 19th
  • Library of Congress Catalog Number 94048893
  • Dewey Decimal Code B

Media reviews

Citations

  • New York Times, 02/09/1997, Page 32
  • Publishers Weekly, 10/07/1996, Page 0

About the author

Henry Petroski is the Aleksandar S. Vesic Professor of Civil Engineering and a professor of history at Duke University, where he also serves as chairman of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. The author of more than 15 books, he has received grants from the National Science Foundation and fellowships from the National Endowment for the Humanities and the National Humanities Center.
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Engineers of Dreams: Great Bridge Builders and the Spanning of America
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Engineers of Dreams: Great Bridge Builders and the Spanning of America

by Petroski, Henry

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